MC passes power connection for new library after 15 yrs

After paying a whopping amount of Rs 48.40 lakh,the MC took on lease property at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan to shift both the libraries almost 15 years back. But neither the shifting nor the interiors have been done till now.

At a meeting of F&CC (Finance and Contract Committee) held on Friday at the mayor’s office,the civic body finally passed the bill for electricity connection for the new property.

A source from MC said,“We were not able to do any work at the new location because there was no electricity connection. Numerous complaints and requests were made to get the electricity meter installed but it was never paid heed to. Now when the file has been passed,we hope that the meter will be installed soon and work will start.”

The building of Children’s Library has already been declared unsafe and is in a pathetic state. A mobile library which was started by the MC too got closed in 2003 due to poor response and was sold out in the junk,according to assistant librarian Kamal.

“The new property got shifted to MC in 2011 only with permanent land registration. Now we hope to shift the library in the next two-three months. All work of interiors is still pending,” said Kamal.

“Even before 1975,when these libraries were started,the membership fee was Rs 15 per year only and it has not been increased since then. Rs 15 per year with a security of Rs 50 is too less keeping in view the present rate of inflation,” said an MC official on condition of anonymity.

However,Ludhiana Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria said he was focussing on getting world-class interiors for new library for which designers have been approached and work would start soon.

The F&CC committee meeting on Friday was attended by the mayor,senior deputy mayor Sunita Aggarwal and deputy mayor R D Sharma along with additional commissioners.